About

The longer I live, the more certain I am that there are no accidents in life. There are no chance meetings; everything happens according to a plan, regularly and in order.

– Anatoli Boukreev, Above the Clouds: The Diaries of a High-Altitude Mountaineer

‘We are the sum total of experiences’, and in this regard, nothing has influenced my life more than the repetitive strain injury I went through in the year 2013-2014. The physical aspects of the injury temporarily ended my career as a software developer, dear to me back then. However, at the same time, it brought me closer to life sciences and mathematics, subjects that my father taught me outdoors with real-world examples and much enthusiasm. With good fortune, I was able to fulfill my desire to contribute to science on a high level, and in 2020 I graduated with a PhD in Statistics at Erasmus University Rotterdam, the Netherlands.

The repetitive strain injury also brought me closer to nature, the night sky, and mountains in particular. Hiking/walking in nature in different countries brought me closer to food and cultures, religions, and communities in different parts of our beautiful world. I enjoy the outdoors in all forms, be it the cold wind hitting my face, the monsoon rain, or the first warm rays of the sun in the morning. When I get time for myself, I enjoy cycling, kayaking, walking, hiking, watching birds and (farm) animals, taking pictures of landscapes, or just pondering about life in general with a cup of black tea.